Stuffed Carp

Stuffed Carp

　　Stuffed carp is a specialty of Jun’an locals. According to legend, there was once a filial son named Wanrang in Jun’an whose father loved eating carp. However, young carp have many fine bones, which often caused him to choke. This distressed Wanrang greatly, until one day he came up with the idea of making stuffed carp. He first carefully separated the fish’s skin from its flesh, removed all the bones, and minced the carp meat into a paste. He then mixed it with a bit of cornstarch, salt, and sautéed peanuts, sesame seeds, and chopped scallions, stirring until the mixture became elastic. He then stuffed this filling back into the fish skin, reshaping it to resemble a whole carp. After gently pan-frying it over low heat, he sliced the stuffed carp into sections and arranged them to look like a whole fish again. His father, who loved eating carp, thought it was real carp. This dish not only delivers the pure flavor and tender texture of carp meat but also eliminates the hassle of bones. Before long, the dish spread locally and gradually gained wider popularity. People even gave it a homophonic name based on the character “Rang” (让), calling it “Stuffed Fish” (酿鱼).

　　Stuffed carp is an ingenious dish where the entire carp—including the head and skin—is carefully removed, the flesh is minced, mixed with seasonings, and then stuffed back into the skin, restoring the fish’s original shape. It has a deliciously sweet, tender, and smooth texture with a rich, savory flavor.

　　Ingredients: One 400g live carp, 25g each of Chinese sausage and diced water chestnuts, 25g each of chopped scallions and scallion greens, 50g each of minced pork and sliced soaked dried mushrooms, plus appropriate amounts of minced garlic, minced scallions, cornstarch, dark soy sauce, pepper, and seasoning.

　　Preparation method:

　　1. First, scale and gut the carp, then make a clean cut along the belly to remove the internal organs. Carefully loosen the skin from the flesh using a knife, then insert your fingers between the skin and meat to separate the skin up to the dorsal fin. Cut through the ends of the backbone while keeping the head and tail attached to the original skin.

　　2. Remove the backbone and mince the carp flesh. Beat it with seasonings until it becomes sticky, then mix in scallion greens, diced water chestnuts, and Chinese sausage. Stuff this mixture into the carp skin coated with cornstarch, reshape it into the form of a fish, and coat the surface with cornstarch.

　　3. Heat a wok over high heat, add boiling peanut oil, and deep-fry the stuffed carp until cooked. Remove and drain the oil, then place it in a pot with seasoning and the fried carp. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes, then plate it and drizzle the original sauce on top.

　　Source: Jun’an Town Government Website